where did KDE go?

[Dswissmiss]

I just successfully upgraded from Mandrake 8.2 to 9.0 a few hours ago, played with it a bit, then rebooted the comp. Now, instead of KDE, all i get is a command line prompt for my username and password. After I enter those, I tried typing KDE at the shell prompt, but all I see after that is the following:

XFree86 version 4.2.1 /x Window System
(and then some information about it)

(EE) Failed to load module "glx" (module does not exist)
(EE) No devices detected

Fatal server error: no screens found

Any ideas? Should I be typing in something else at the shell prompt?
I think i selected to run XFree86 at startup or something in the Control Center.

Thank you
Dswissmiss

[aym]

try typing startx

[catch23]

I've heard that a lot of problems are caused when upgrading Mandrake versions...

[Dswissmiss]

startx gives me the same exact screen

should I try clean installing then?

thank you
Dswissmiss

[TMAN]

well, just a hunch, but it looks like you need to install the openGL extensions (GLX) module . They should be on the CD. A clean install might be more beneficial, though. HTH

[kroneko]

I had the same problem earlier, I just went through and did a clean install afterwards and no problem. I think it's probably good to just do a clean install as it clears out any files I might not be using anymore, and it's probably good when it comes to configuring everything as you have some new config options anyway.

[MaXimum SMOKE]

A clean install often cures a bunch of 'ills. That's why I like to create an extra partition /Myfiles or whatever on the drive in ext3. It saves a lot of grief juggling stuff around before clean installs. Just don't forget and accidentally format it. The darndest things can happen during those 2:00 am installs

[Dswissmiss]

yeah, had the same idea... i clean installed it and everything works. i just wanted to figure out why this happened, so i can avoid this next time arround.

actually, maybe you could help me with this. i tried installing nvidia drivers for my geforce4 from nvidia.com. it told me to download a kernel, and a glx rpm file, and when i test the kernel file (using kpackage) it tells me that "result=0". just wanted to make sure these drivers didnt cause the problems before i install them again.

thanx

[MaXimum SMOKE]

If the new vid drivers that Mandrake supplies, supports the functions that you need for your vid card, I wouldn't use 'NVidia's' (probably?) older kernel, etc in a brand-new distribution. They may have an older kernel, etc. that could cause you other problems. My opinion, anyhow.

[abomb7682]

Dswissmiss:
"yeah, had the same idea... i clean installed it and everything works. i just wanted to figure out why this happened, so i can avoid this next time arround."

I'm a slackware user, i've never seen a mandrake box, so i'm making assumtion that mandrake is totally different than slackware...

A clean install will autodetect hardware and settings and give you a generic XF86Config file that best matches your configuration. Most systems will then run X windows without the need for the user run any additional set up programs like 'xf86config'

However on a upgrade install... it may change settings (a new kernel version may detect your monitor as a spicific model where before it used a generic driver) and probably upgraded XFree86 from 3.x to 4.x (i dont know what came with each mandrake distro) however it probably left the old XF86Config file which pointed your "screen" to something that wasn't there anymore.

In the future, to avoid the problem I would back up your X config file (under slackware its located at /etc/X11/XF86Config) and keep it handy... and if X doesn't load under different version of mandrake then run 'xf86config' (unless mandrake has a more user friendly version of the X windows configurator) and use the vertical and horizontal refresh rates of the screen given in your old XF86Config file.

How ever to really avoid this in the future I recommend always running a clean install. Its benificial to always perform clean installs when upgading to fight against virus, confilcts, and old files taking up space. There really isn't a reason not to do it unless your personal files are spead all over the place which is also bad practice.

As far as the nVidia drivers go, in programming a 0 result generally means "ok" and any other number represents an error message, so I'd say go for it. Worst that happens is you have to reload mandrake and the best that happens is you get GeForce quailty picture. I'd take the risk.